[Prevalence of asthma in Tepehuano and Mestizo school children from Durango, Mexico]

There is a lack of information concerning the prevalence of asthma among ethnic groups of Mexico. Therefore, we sought to determine the prevalence of asthma in school children of two ethnic groups (Tepehuanos and Mestizos) of Durango state, Mexico.

To determine the prevalence of asthma in school children from two ethnic groups of Durango, Mexico.

Four hundred and eight school children of Mestizo ethnicity and all 327 school children of Tepehuano ethnicity of the whole Tepehuano region of Durango state participated in the study. All children or their parents submitted the ISAAC questionnaire. For Tepehuano population a translator helped in submitting the questionnaires. Confirmation of asthma was performed by clinical examination, skin prick tests, and spirometry.

Thirty two (7.8%; 95% CI: 5.5-10.8) Mestizo children and twelve (3.7%; 95% CI 2.0-6.2) Tepehuano children were found as suggestive of suffering from asthma (wheeze ever) by using the ISAAC questionnaire and were further evaluated by clinical examination, skin prick test, and in some cases by spirometry. Asthma was confirmed in 30 (7.4%; 95% CI 5.1-10.2) of the Mestizo children but in none of the Tepehuano children (p < 0.001). Asthma in Mestizo children was associated with a mother or tutor who smokes at home (OR = 3.35; 95% CI: 1.48-7.59; p = 0.002).

There was an absence of asthma cases among the Tepehuano school children population of Durango state, Mexico. The prevalence of asthma in our Mestizo children population is low compared to those reported in other Latin American countries. A mother or tutor who smokes at home might be a contributing factor of asthma in our Mestizo children.